MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spanish police Tuesday arrested a Spanish soldier and his Russian girlfriend for allegedly posting videos on the Internet promoting Islamic extremist views and calling for attacks in Spain , a Ministry of Interior statement said .

Spanish police released these images of Christian Peso Ruiz Coello , left , and Maria Choubina .

The suspects , both 23 years old and practicing Muslims , were arrested in the southern Spanish city of Granada . They were identified as Christian Peso Ruiz Coello , born in Granada , and Maria Choubina , born in Leningrad -LRB- now Saint Petersburg -RRB- in 1985 .

The investigation began last June when police detected videos on the Internet that called for Islamic attacks in Spain , and specifically in Granada , the last outpost of the Muslim Moors in medieval Spain , with its fabled Alhambra palace that still stands .

The suspects posted 11 radical videos seen 2,007 times on the Internet and had online contact with 200 people in Europe and the Middle East who were favorable to a so-called `` international jihad , '' the ministry said .

Their videos allegedly aimed to inspire Islamic extremists to carry out attacks , using messages such as a call to liberate `` Al Andalus , '' the vast portion of Spain under Muslim rule for centuries during the Middle Ages until the Catholic monarchs conquered the last bastion of Granada , in 1492 .

The videos also allegedly portrayed offenses against Muslims who live in modern Spain , including many in Granada .

`` This activity aimed to increase the threat in our country by terrorist groups and elements linked to the ` global jihad , ' '' the ministry statement said .

Police searched the homes of the suspects , in the operation supervised by Spain 's anti-terrorism National Court in Madrid .

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Spanish soldier , Russian girlfriend held for allegedly promoting Islamic extremism

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Suspects , 23 , were arrested in southern Spanish city of Granada

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Videos posted on Web allegedly aimed to inspire extremist attacks